New Music From JJM3, Westview Elementary

On my daily journey of scouring the internet for untapped local artists, I stumbled across the LP Interim by JJM3. According to the website bandcamp.com, Joseph J. Micolo III (JJM3), is a sound artist, and multi-instrumentalist that is interested in the use of music as a vehicle for the exploration of consciousness.

I have recently discovered the thought provoking, and conscious expanding abilities of deep listening music. At one point and time in my life, I thought that it basically sounded like noise. There was a tent at Bonnaroo in the campgrounds this year called “The Well Being”, that was a deep listening area that was basically a relaxation chamber.

The sound quality was amazing and while sitting inside, the different frequencies and resonances made me realize that sound, and energy, had some very deep meanings and capabilities. Presumably much farther than I even understand today.

Micolo states that Interim is a collection of material that was produced during the fall of 2017, and the winter of 2018. The pieces of the album are both a prelude to new ventures in sonic exploration, and also a closing past era of creative approach.

After giving the album an honest listen, I was very impressed with the intelligence, and overall sound of the music. Though there are just four tracks on the LP, the makeup of it still generates over a half hour of music, which is impressive.

The tracks that I enjoyed the most were “Winter Scene Reminiscence”, and “Get Offa My World”. I think that more people would be open to deep listening music if they were properly exposed to it. If they actually listen to it, to feel it; And use the right sound equipment or proper headphones to experience it, that it would be more popular.

Deep listening has become a part of my daily life post Bonnaroo, and I am certainly glad that I stumbled on the beautiful piece of art. Open your ears, your heart and mind will follow.

Westview Elementary

Let The Sun Shine Out

(westviewelementary.bandcamp.com)

An incredibly upbeat, and fantastic album coming from the students and faculty at Westview Elementary is Let The Sun Shine Out. The students and teachers obviously put forth a tremendous effort in creating this bliss. I am blown away by the sound quality and production of this pop album.

First-hand experience leads me to believe that listening to this album at the start of the day with a cup of coffee is a foolproof way to begin it with a smiling face and warm heart.

The positive message that is spread throughout, mixed with the harmonic voices of all the participants, and the absolute jam that the instruments and sound produce, makes this one of my favorite local albums ever.

Discovering hidden gems makes the act of discovering new music feel very rewarding. It is a glorious feeling to stumble upon something powerful, potent, and awesome; such as this album.

All the songs on the album are very crisp, clean, and crunchy. It is hard to pick a standout track, they honestly all are contenders. If I had to pick an absolute favorite, it would be a tie between “It’s Gonna Be a Good Day” (4th Grade, Eller/Scarborough), “Til You Turn on The Light” (5th Grade Monroe/Berg), and “Simon Says” (3rd Grade, Burger/Ratchford/Eaves).

Each song uses a variety of instruments and is each extraordinarily diverse. Some of the songs have a mixture of electric guitars and even brass instruments. I do not know whose idea it was to produce this project, but they deserve a gold star and an award for excellence.

This is a great example of the education department taking a stance to help the youth become more dimensional. Reading, writing, and arithmetic are all critical aspects of development, but tapping into art, music, and creativity is equally important.

Thank you Westview Elementary for this solid gold album. It is truly fantastic.